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pearled spelt salad with kale and lemon-tahini dressing

pearled spelt salad with kale and lemon-tahini dressing

Out shopping and I'm caught in a dilemma. Do I choose dark, sleek and elegant, or bright, frilly and frivolous? No I am not shopping for [whisper] unmentionables, but one of my favourite winter vegetables. Do I choose calvo nero or frilly kale? These are the kind of important decisions that I like to make.
Frivolous wins the day and I am off home clutching my healthy booty to make one of my favourite lunchbox salads. Of course it is delicious; light with lemon and moreish from the tahini, but it is also very forgiving in that it will happily sit in the fridge for a few days (doing what a robust salad does when the door shuts and the lights go out) without losing its fresh taste.

Make the tahini dressing by whisking together the tahini, olive oil and lemon juice. If it is particularly thick, add a little water. Season to taste.

Toast the spelt in a dry, hot frying pan for a couple of minutes before adding them to a saucepan of salted boiling water or stock. Cook until the spelt is tender (about 20 minutes). Drain. Dry out at 160C for about 10 minutes to remove any excess moisture. While warm, toss the spelt with tahini dressing.

Steam the shredded kale for a few minutes until tender. Drain well and stir through the dressed spelt together with the dried fruit.

About Me

Born in Nottingham. Grew up in Kuala Lumpur and now based in north London. Marketing Communications professional, project manager, writer, researcher, tree hugger, home cook and food blogger. Trainee assassin sounds more interesting though but the reality is that I am cooking seasonally, learning to forage and to trust my instincts, and writing about food; discovering new ingredients and dreaming that I'm part kitchen witch, part mad scientist. I wish!